Is your hardcore exercise routine setting you up for burnout, injury or illness? If you train day after day without adding enough variety or rest you may be headed for burnout. Use the following questions to determine your risk.
- Have I just completed an intense endurance event or competition (such as a marathon, or ultra-endurance race)?
- Have I lost interest in training or playing sports?
- Does my regular workout feel too difficult?
- Do I dread the thought of training or racing?
- Am I becoming more irritated or annoyed about small things?
- Have I lost my appetite or am I eating too much?
- Do I feel mentally stressed, fatigued or withdrawn?
- Do I have generalized aches, pains or body soreness?
- Am I having trouble sleeping?
- Do I have an angry, negative attitude?
- Am I having more colds and flus than usual?
- Is my morning resting heart rate higher than normal?
If you answer yes to four or more of the questions you could be pushing yourself too hard. The following strategies will help you scale back your training, recover and refresh your routine to avoid burnout.
Very good advice!
I answered yes to 10 of the 12 ‘are you overtraining?’ questions. Had been felling frustrated that what I usually do in 3 variable-minute blocks was exhausting me before I finished the first one. Would crawl through my total time in 5 minute sessions, wondering why it was so hard suddenly.
Going to cut the time back (I do very high intensity workouts every day, for nearly an hour) and simply stop and rest for a day if my normal time seems impossible, like it has been recently. Been irritable and felt just ‘out of sorts’ a lot, wondered if it might be cos I was doing too much but didn’t want to stop or cut back cos I hate not finishing my normal time. This page/site was hugely helpful. Thank you:-)